


Favorite

by mustdefine



Category: Gymnastics RPF
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-09-26
Updated: 2013-09-26
Packaged: 2017-12-27 16:12:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,078
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/980972
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mustdefine/pseuds/mustdefine
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>That’s that; Aly Raisman is officially Team Russia’s favorite American.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Favorite

**Author's Note:**

> Author’s note: Some dumb fluff written quickly for the London floor finals anniversary, if anyone still ships this :-P

Aliya likes her immediately when they meet in the cafeteria. Aly’s the only one to stand out from Team USA. She’s the one girl to make eye contact and smile, much less attempt a conversation. “This food’s kinda crazy, huh? You should try that one, I don’t even know what it is but it tastes really good … Is there any Russian food here?” They trade names and smiles—and pins; Aliya’s not into pin-trading but feels oddly compelled to take the little metal object from Aly’s hand. Aliya’s teammates look at her questioningly when she returns to the table. She touches the pin in her pocket and ignores them. _  
_

Aliya goes out to make a phone call the next day and finds Aly hanging out on the grass beside their shared apartment building. She puts down her phone and easily says, “Hey, Aliya,” as if they’ve been friends for years. Aliya sits down next to her and they end up talking for almost two hours. Before the conversation is even half over, Aliya decides she’s going to kiss Aly at some point in the very near future. Which happens to be the night after qualifications and involves getting Aly alone in the apartment building’s laundry room on some incredibly flimsy pretext, and which ends with a pretty excellent makeout session against industrial-sized washing machines.

Aliya puts Aly out of her mind during the team competition. She’s a professional; she gets the job done, and at the end she stands with her team wiping away tears of joy at the unexpected silver. She thinks all the Americans are over in their section celebrating their win. Then she sees movement out of the corner of her eye. It’s Aly. She reaches for Aliya first (Aliya’s hands slide down to Aly’s sides, all she dares do in public) and works her way through the Russians, who are all surprised but quite happy to receive a hug from an American. Aliya has to make herself stop watching Aly so her pride isn’t obvious to the entire world. During the press conference afterward she says, “The American women have proven they’re the best in the world.” She sneaks a glance down the table. Aly’s looking down and smiling shyly at her comment, and Aliya wants to pull her out of the room and make her blush even more in private. Later, when the Russian team is decompressing and going over the night’s experience, Maria mentions Aly’s sportsmanship. “She’s a very nice girl,” Aliya says. Ksenia the veteran shoots her a quick glance and comments decisively, “I like her. She’s really friendly for an American.”  _You have no idea_ , Aliya thinks. The others nod and that’s that; Aly Raisman is officially Team Russia’s favorite American.

The all-around is fucking brutal. Aliya can hardly bear to accept Aly’s hug on the floor. Of course she basks in the feeling of being on the podium while she’s up there; her win is something she treasures after her injury. But when Aliya finds Aly afterward, neither try to talk. She simply wraps Aly in her arms and lets Aly bury her face in Aliya’s shoulder. “I’m really proud of you,” Aly says eventually. Aliya’s heart breaks a little and she tightens her grip on Aly. Ksenia’s voice floats through her head, a quiet side comment made out of a devastated Viktoria’s hearing. _Rougher luck for Raisman._ God. She can’t stay. She wants to, even if it makes her a fool for wanting this to be more than a fling. She kisses Aly for a long moment before she leaves. They have the weekend to rest up for event finals. Neither ends up resting much.

In part, that’s due to Aliya’s teammates. Aliya’s getting tired of the laundry room. She wants to have Aly in a proper bed. So she offhandedly asks Ksenia if she can have the room to herself one night. She offers a weak excuse about wanting to visualize and rest before floor finals, but Ksenia breaks out in this giant knowing grin and vanishes so quickly her smile seems to hang in the air after she leaves. Aliya’s cheeks are burning but she decides not to question her good fortune. Later she bumps into Nastya in the hallway while looking for candles and matches. “I think she is very nice, the nicest of all of them,” Nastya says in that quietly forward way she has.

Aliya plays dumb. “What? Who?”

"Her," Nastya says and scurries away.

Masha texts her. _You’re fucking lucky, good luck fucking!_ Aliya hears a peal of laughter from Vika and Masha’s room and rolls her eyes. That evening, the two best friends peek out their door as Aliya leads Aly down the hall. She aims a death glare at them over her shoulder and hopes Aly doesn’t see. They just flash thumbs up and disappear with muffled giggles. Aliya knows she’s in for teasing later, but she’s not too worried about it.

"What was that?" Aly asks.

"Nothing," Aliya says, one hand sliding low on Aly’s back.

Aliya’s not the type to make love by candlelight, but she knows Aly is without even asking, and Aly’s gasp of delight makes her preparations worth it. She undresses Aly in the flickering light and kisses her gently, taking her time before tasting her; teases her with fingers and tongue before going deeper; flicks and strokes slowly until she finds the right rhythm and Aly is writhing under her. When it’s her turn, she nearly knocks a candle off the bedside table. She’s pretty sure the entire building hears her come. “Hey,” she says to Aly when they’re catching their breath. “I think I like you most of all US team.”

"Why’s that? Because I’m so awesome at sex?"

Aliya stretches luxuriously. “Ehh. You are OK.”

Aly hits her with a pillow.

It’s a long, mind-blowing good night, but the morning is even better. Aliya tastes herself on Aly’s lips when she kisses her goodbye, swaggers back down the hallway feeling relaxed and on top of the world.

"Hey, sex god," Maria yells after her.

"Break any bed frames?!" says Viktoria.

"You know it," Aliya replies smugly. She lays out her leotard. Time to get ready. She has a good feeling about floor finals with Aly today and an even better feeling about spending the next few days with her. Foolish optimism, maybe. But she feels in the mood for it these days.


End file.
